Upgrading from Back Boiler

[Pendo]

Hi guys, this is my first post, although i have been reading the forums for a while. I'm hoping you'll be able to advise me on this a little before i start getting quotes.

I've currently got a back boiler, the house is a 1970's built mid terrace, ex council property near sheffield. The fire is unsightly and as we're trying to modernise the house, the fire is currently the stumbling block.

What i want to do is to do away with the back boiler, and get a new boiler fitted elsewhere so that i can fit a nice modern fire. The radiators are fine so don't need replacing at the moment.

My questions are, how much work is involved in fitting a new boiler, i've been reading about flushing etc, which is alien to me, as i have no experience in this industry whatsoever. Is this necessary, and will most plumbers do this as standard? What sort of price will i be looking at for the work, obviously a rough ball park figure, not looking for an exact amount. The house is our first house, and not a house that we are planning on staying in forever, we are tied into the mortgage for the next 3 years, and don't plan on staying much longer than that, therefore the boiler doesn't have to be state of the art, super duper boils the kettle and mashes the tea for you aswell, just a basic boiler that will warm up the radiators will be sufficent.

I would also like to change the shower, we currently have an electric shower, which at this time of year needs turning up to the hottest setting, and comes out at little more than a drizzle.

Also, what sort of fire can i get, with the old back boiler fire removed, can i fit a flueless electric fire?

Sorry for the long post, maybe i should have posted 3 different posts. Anyway, if anyone has managed to get to the end of this, i look forward to your replies.

Paul.

 

[EliteHeat]

What sort of boiler do you want? either a replacement for the back boiler which will retain your hot water cylinder or a combi boiler which wont.

 

[Pendo]

To be perfectly honest I'm not particularly bothered either way. I suppose a combi would be nice, but not essential if its gonna cost a lot more.

 

[EliteHeat]

If you have a working back boiler that isn't troubling you more than having to look at the disgusting firefront, then personally I wouldn't recommend that you change it at all.

If you are absolutely convinced that this would be money well spent, then you are going to be looking at a bill of roughly £2-3K. Which is precisley why I wouldn't recommend changing it!.

Why not just get a decent power shower put in and forget about the boiler?

 

[Pendo]

Its really ugly tho. I'll bear it in mind tho, is there much work involved in changing to a power shower, the shower is tiled, but i have spare tiles, so could repair tiling if it needs removing.

What sort of price would i be looking at to get it changed?

 

[jos22]

Its really ugly tho. I'll bear it in mind tho, is there much work involved in changing to a power shower, the shower is tiled, but i have spare tiles, so could repair tiling if it needs removing.

What sort of price would i be looking at to get it changed?

I fitted my own a few years ago & I am no plumber.

You need:-
A cold water supply with enough pressure to "pump" the water to the shower head. You should be all right there as you already have a shower fed by cold water.
The same with ot water but as this is coming from your hot water cylinder, by gravity, depending on where your hot water cylinder is in relation to your shower head, you may need a pump to assist it.
You obviously need a power shower.

If you need a pump, you can get one that will either do one water supply (ie hot) or two. You will also need an electrical supply to the pump.

I think at the time a single pump cost about £80 and a double about £120.
The following web address should also help you.
//www.diynot.com/pages/pl/pl058.php